What Hurts More: Laser Hair Removal or a Bikini Wax?

Ready for a little TMI? I've been getting bikini waxes since I was in high school. (Remember when I tried at-home waxing?). And lately, every time I go, my waxer tells me I should just bite the bullet and try laser hair removal, but I resisted because I was totally freaked out by it. After a summer of wincing over waxing, I finally called the folks at Completely Bare (my fave wax spot) and asked if I could give laser hair removal a try. Here's how it compared to waxing:

1. Laser hair removal does not remove hair right away. It’s only about 10 percent every appointment and you can’t wax while you do it. So, if you decide to do it, you’ll be shaving down there (or going au natural) for about a year. But, if you start now, you’ll be totally done by next summer. A summer without waxing? OMG, yes please!

2. Laser hair removal does not hurt as much as waxing and is way quicker. Yes. You read that right. It feels either like a cat sneezing or like tiny pin pricks, depending on the area being waxed. It only took ten minutes after my initial consultation and if you’re a big baby like me, the technician can turn the machine down. Waxing just hurts. No matter how good your waxer is or how long you’ve been doing it. I don’t care what anyone says.

3. Laser Hair Removal is way more expensive than waxing. WAY more. A full series of Brazilian laser hair removal sessions is $2,000 (Apparently, you need to go in every four weeks for at least six months to get full results.). A Brazilian wax tops out around $80. So why would you drop $2K? Well, do the math: $2,000 of laser hair removal over one year (and one year only) equals about three years of waxing every six weeks. If you’re like me and have been waxing regularly for way more than three years, it’s worth it in the long run.

4. You don’t have to have pale skin and dark hair to do it. There are new lasers now that work on darker skin. The technician, who had dark skin, said it hurts a little more but works just as well.

So is there any reason I wouldn’t like it?

Well, there’s three: First, the price is way more than anything I should be spending up front. Second, I don’t love idea of shaving for a full year. And third, it’s pretty much permanent! What if one day I decide I don’t want a perma-Brazilian?

The verdict: Price aside, I really do like it and have already made my next Completely Bare appointment!